Exeter Airport named UK's best for second year running

Exeter Airport has been named the best airport in the UK for the second year running, according to the annual passenger survey by consumer champion Which?

The airport topped the national table with a customer score of 83%, up from 80% the previous year, and retained its Which? Recommended Provider status.

The survey asked more than 6,000 passengers about 8,383 airport visits made over the previous 12 months, covering areas including customer service, check-in and security queues, passport control, baggage reclaim, seating, food and drink and cleanliness.

Exeter scored the maximum five stars for check-in queues, security queues and cleanliness, along with four stars for customer service, passport control, baggage reclaim and seating. Which? said not a single respondent reported being dissatisfied with the airport, describing it as "a comfortable, efficient and compact airport that's top of the table." Passengers praised its ease of use, short queues, comfortable seating and the speed with which they could move through the terminal.

Airport response

Stephen Wiltshire, Managing Director of Exeter Airport, said the result reflected the whole team's efforts. "To be named the best airport in the UK for the second year running is a fantastic achievement and something the whole team at Exeter can be extremely proud of," he said.

"What makes this particularly rewarding is that the result is based on the views of the people who use the airport. We work hard to make travelling through Exeter as straightforward and welcoming as possible, so it is great to see that reflected so strongly in the feedback from our passengers."

He said the achievement was made more significant given the airport's recent growth. "We've also welcomed significantly more passengers over the past year as our choice of destinations and connectivity has grown, so to retain the number one position while the airport is getting busier is especially pleasing," he said.

Strong showing for sister airports too

Exeter is one of three airports owned and operated by Regional & City Airports (RCA) to rank in the UK's top six for the second year running, alongside sister airports Norwich Airport, placed fourth, and Bournemouth Airport, placed sixth.

Wiltshire said the result reflected well on the wider group. "For Exeter to be ranked number one, with Norwich and Bournemouth also among the UK's top six for the second year running, is a great result for Regional & City Airports and testament to the teams at all three airports," he said.

Growing passenger numbers

The award follows a period of strong growth at Exeter Airport, which welcomed 582,347 passengers in the year to March 2026, an increase of 31% on the previous year.

The airport currently serves 28 destinations across 10 countries, including a daily KLM service to Amsterdam Schiphol, providing onward connections worldwide.